Play is a NECESSARY part of childhood. Children learn best through play, for a variety of reasons, including: How can teachers encourage this inherent curiosity? By providing children with stimulating, hands-on, child-led activities. A thoughtfully planned dramatic play area supports opportunities for children to try out new language and vocabulary, develop social skills, improve motor … Read more
Active play is important for the physical development of young children. Skills such as gross motor, depth perception, and visual-motor coordination are enhanced when children engage in physical education. Physical activity also helps to prevent childhood obesity. However, there are many more benefits to active, physical play that extend beyond physical development!
Understanding emotions is one of the most important parts of the human experience. Our emotions are intertwined with every facet of our lives including our individual well-being, relationships, and work. Gaining an understanding of our own emotions and the emotions of those around us begins at an early age, thus making social and emotional skills … Read more
Active supervision is active teaching. It is watching, listening, staying present physically and mentally, interacting, counting, and preventing problems.
Staying calm under pressure isn’t always easy but it is important. Learning tools to help you manage stress are important and can help you move from “reacting” to “responding.” Check out the video to learn more.
Safe sleep means putting an infant to sleep in ways that can help protect him from dangers, like choking and suffocation (not being able to breathe), and sudden infant death syndrome (also called SIDS). SIDS is the unexplained death of a baby younger than 1 year old. SIDS usually happens when a baby is sleeping. … Read more
Active and appropriate supervision is vital to keep children safe. You need to know ratios, group sizes, and ways to track attendance for children in your care. Remember, maintaining safe ratios and group sizes helps prevent educators from being overwhelmed and keeps supervision manageable. Check out this video and quick quiz to learn more.
Keeping kids active will help them stay healthy and help them grow. You may even find that children have an easier time resolving conflicts and are generally happier when they get enough physical activity. Remember, even if weather or space do not permit outdoor play, teachers are still required to provide opportunities for vigorous movement … Read more
Morning greetings can help children smooth the transition from home to school. They don’t take much time, but morning greetings can have a big impact on relationships with children and families. This microlearning session focuses on “the why” behind morning greetings. It also provides tips for establishing a morning arrival routine and individualizing your morning greetings.
DELAWARE INSTITUTE FOR
EXCELLENCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
